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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · snap · cabinet · bank · arm · bark · hide · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. file — a tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bark — to shout
  12. file — a document
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wax — to grow
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com